Kapitel 56: Chapter 13 Men of different principles don't work well together.
Dào bùtóng, bù xiāng wéi móu.
'principles different, not harmonious for schemes'
Men of different principles don't work well together.
(Borders of Xue and Cai kingdom)
"Reporting to Leader!" A red leather armour soldier came forth and knelt on one knee, addressing the man inside the room. And entered once given the permission. He quickly passed the missive to the assistant, who had walked towards him to take the missive from the soldier, and the soldier left as soon as he was dismissed.
The assistant opened the missive and without looking at the contents, respectfully passed it to the red clad man, who was painting a mountain landscape. His long hair was loose and when red clad man tugged his hair to his ears, it was like opening the curtains to reveal a side view of am effeminate beautiful man. If no one noticed his adam apple on his throat, they would have mistaken him as a woman.
Leader MengTian merely smirked when he saw the assistant's dumbstruck look, he took the missive and read it.
"Go get LaoHai here, and tell Helan family about the Sorghum prices. If they don't want it, I can sell to others easily. Offer to the dogs of old Cai if they accept the new prices. Charge the Sheng merchants higher, but I will reconsider same pricing to old Cai if they have news of this so called TianDao sect.
In fact, I would pay any amount to get anything on this TianDao demon hunters. I hate it when someone come sniffing around me so closely." Leader MengTian glanced at the assistant, "And you, keep your eyes to yourself else I will have your eyeballs to decorate my room."
The assistant blushed and lowered his eyes when he left the leader's room. His father was the leader's previous assistant and he had taken over his father's position when his father passed, and now he had followed Leader MengTian for many months and yet he still could not hide his admiration to the youthful leader of Eastern Rightful Alliance.
Leader truly looked like an immortal out from a painting!
Leader MengTian picked up the brush to continue to paint but found himself in an agitated mood and just stared hard at his half-painted painting. All these years of planning, hiding, stealing, he finally was strong and rich enough to build his own personal military.
He scowled thinking of those spoilt royal families dominating the world and he vehemently swore, "One day I will take back what is rightfully mine!"
Two days before the banquet, Murong XieChu stayed on after the morning court and seek audience within the Emperor Xue's study. Once the emperor entered his study, he told General Murong to dispense with formalities, and he sat down and asked about the topic. Murong XieChu was a straightforward man and he quickly told the emperor of Eastern Rightful Alliance hijacking and burning the Xue kingdom's granaries in Peace Swallow City, a strategic city, bordering Cai and Xue.
Peace Swallow Town was in actual not a town but a city and a prosperous one. The city was rich with agricultural land and the location of this city benefits the trading of Cai and Xue. However, recent political atmosphere between the two countries had seemed to escalate and Peace Swallow city was just in the middle of this. Even though on the surface, it looked it was peaceful, the civilians had begun to take precautions, and the governor had increased surveillance and added more soldiers for security.
To make matters worse was that Cai Kingdom seemed like working with Eastern Rightful Alliance and made trouble in Peace Swallow City. They had closed and fortified their border, and had their soldiers to roam around the Peace Swallow Town.
It was obvious that Cai Kingdom was eyeing on the rich, fat meat of the border city, and to acquire it for their kingdom. Which country would not want a self-sufficient and prosperous country to add coffers to their own kingdom? With the goading of Eastern Rightful Alliance (ERA) , Cai Kingdom was merely sending a clear message: give up and they will take the city by force.
Aside from the threats of Cai kingdom, another factor that made the Peace Swallow City to request the Capital for emergency assistance was the food distribution problem. For several weeks, the summer weather had been hot and the lack of rainfall had pushed the year to have earlier autumn with leaves falling off the trees faster than usual and crops dying back because of the drought. The livelihood of the all villagers had centred and depended around agriculture: ploughing in spring, weeding in summer, harvesting in autumn, and hoarding in winter.
Most summer harvest were already traded or sent to capital for business and taxes, while the people waited for rain to plough the earth, but instead, they faced the unusual climatic conditions, that caught them unprepared.
The governor of Peace Swallow Town, was the son of the Right Minister and brother to Lin Concubine, had employed the services of the tribal Shaman Wo, but it was said that the shamanic dances still could not summon rain.
Faced with food shortage, food pricing had increased, some rice traders even closed stores and left the city. The people from nearby villagers were equally suffering as the grain pricing had soared high and they were not able to trade for food. It was nearing winter and the civilians were panicking – impending war and lack of food. The residents of Peace Swallow City were in despair could not get anything from autumn harvest was not enough to last through winter.
The country's richest family, Helan clan, had branches in Peace Swallow City and the clan representatives had assured the people the same prices for their grains but they only had limited quantity to sell.
Ever since Murong XieChu had returned his military authority to the imperial family, when he settled down in the Capital, he had also passed his station to his previous subordinate to guard the borders. Murong XieChu was worried that the current Peace Swallow Town did not have enough military might. He had deduced: were Cai kingdom send their soldiers to attack, they would certainly lose this strategic border city, and the Cai would have the advantage to attack into the country. Peace Swallow Town could not fall into the hands of Cai kingdom!
Another big worry was about the unrest and the influence of ERA and recruiting desperate civilians to their cause in this period of time, Murong XieChu asked the Emperor to give him the order to leave immediately to bring rations, supervise and bring order to the borders.
The emperor had read missives about the rebel clan of ERA targeting the towns at the borders but he did not know the severity of the case and now the collaboration with Cai Kingdom.
Just as he swiftly pick up with brush to write the papers, and was about the stamp with his royal seal for the official orders, Murong XieChu stood from his chair and knelt, "This unworthy general would like to make a request for his majesty to grant my useless young son to follow this unworthy general to train him to be a better man to be able to fend for himself and serve the country when he was able."
Xue Emperor lips twitched when Murong XieChu made the request. He knew how much his queen had been looking forward and finally managed to 'invite' General Murong's heir to the banquet in two more days, to introduce to the royal children. Now Murong XieChu was pledging his son's loyalty to the crown but rejecting the queen's order to be present. The nation's peace matters first, family he himself would deal himself later.
The Xue royal family motto was written on the palace by the Xue clan leader, 'People must exist before a king exist'.
This was to remind their descendants that of their bitter past and to have good government for their Xue clan to continue to sit firmly on the dragon throne.
After attending too many morning courts, General Murong had learnt from those literati officials how to be sly. He absolutely did not want his daughter to be preyed and involved in nobles and the royal family politics. Li-er second encounter with the 9th prince already greatly alarmed him and this would be the best time to retreat and go to the borders.
"Grant" Xue Emperor stood and took a carved stone from the brocade box, that his head eunuch had brought out, "Take this back and return safely to Us with good news".
Murong XieChu held the carved tiger seal, the seal to control thousands of soldiers from his previous army, and felt the thrill that he had not been feeling for a long time. He had stayed back in capital and play the role of an ex-general, attending morning courts, was all due to Li-er, he did not bear to leave her especially when she was so young. Now that he had the cause to defend both his country and his family, he was more than happy to leave. Murong XieChu had been itching to hold a sword and run with his horse into battle.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein